Eide leads Jacks past Georgetown

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Ashley Eide tied a career high with 27 points and added a career-high 13 rebounds as the South Dakota State University women's basketball team shook off a sluggish start to record a 64-58 win over Georgetown Friday afternoon.

The Jackrabbits, playing their final non-conference game of the season, improved to 8-5 overall. Georgetown dropped to 7-4 on the season.

Behind the play of national player of the year candidate Sugar Rodgers, Georgetown jumped out to an early double-digit lead. The Hoyas scored the first seven points and later built an 18-4 lead as Rodgers tallied 11 points in the early outburst.

The Jackrabbits chipped away at the deficit via the three-pointer and the free throw line. SDSU made its first eight free throw attempts and 11-of-14 tries in the first half, then knotted the game at 22-all on Eide's second three-pointer of the opening stanza.

Georgetown recovered to take a 27-26 lead into intermission.

SDSU grabbed its first lead of the game 95 seconds into the second half on a three-pointer by Eide that made the score 31-29. Eide scored scored eight of the Jackrabbits' first 12 points in the second half as SDSU opened a 38-31 lead with 14:23 to play.

The Hoyas responded with an 8-0 spurt to regain a 39-38 advantage after a Rodgers three-pointer. However, the Georgetown lead lasted only a few seconds as Hannah Strop's putback gave SDSU the lead for good, sparking an 18-6 run that included two three-pointers by Eide duirng which SDSU built its largest lead of the game at 56-45 with 6:25 remaining.

Georgetown got back to within 58-56, but Eide ended the Hoya run with a basket with three minutes to play and Strop scored the final four Jackrabbit points at the free throw line.

The Jackrabbits finished the game 19-of-47 from the field, 40.4 percent, including 9-of-31 from three-point range against the Georgetown zone defense. SDSU made 17-of-24 free throw attempts, 70.8 percent.

Rodgers was the lone player in double figures for Georgetown with a game-high 31 points. Andrea White contributed nine points and 12 rebounds for the the Hoyas.

The Hoyas shot 19-of-55 from the floor, 34.5 percent, including 5-of-17 from three-point range. At the line, Georgetown converted 15-of-21 attempts, 71.4 percent.

SDSU won despite committing a season-high 26 turnovers; however, Georgetown was guilty of 24 miscues. The Jackrabbits won the rebounding battle, 38-34.

The Jackrabbits open Summit League play Dec. 30 against North Dakota State. Tipoff is slated for 2 p.m. at Frost Arena.

NOTES: Friday's game was the first-ever meeting between the Jackrabbits and Georgetown in women's basketball ... SDSU recorded its first win over a BIG EAST Conference opponent in eight tries ... the Jackrabbits have now defeated 57 different Division I opponents since joining the D-I ranks at the start of the 2004-05 season ... Eide previously scored 27 points against Utah State on Nov. 13, 2011 and her previous career high for rebounds was 11 against Marist (N.Y) later that same month ... Eide topped the 20-point mark for the fourth time this season ... Eide's seven three-pointers were the most by a Jackrabbit player since Jill Young made seven treys against St. Cloud State (Minn.) on Nov. 11, 2011 ... SDSU held a 12-5 advantage in bench points ... the Jackrabbits improved to 5-4 when trailing at halftime this season ... SDSU upped its record in December to 5-1 and 5-2 in afternoon games ... the Jackrabbits played without reserve center Katie Lingle, who was injured in a Dec. 18 game against Delaware State ... attendance was 231